conversation analysis
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Overtalk: Suspended turn-taking during Noem’s (other) congressional hearing
Here’s how conversation works, approximately: one person speaks and when they are done the other responds, and so on, back and forth. If you’re talking to someone, one reason to wait your turn is so that you can attend to what they are saying to you, in order to respond. It’s hard to do that… Continue reading
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No Way Out?: Kristi’s Noem’s Self-destruction
On March 5, 2026, President Donald Trump ousted Kristi Noem from her position as Secretary of Homeland Security, allegedly outraged by her testimony in a congressional hearing two days earlier. Specifically, she implicated him in a hugely expensive ad campaign that was simultaneously self-promoting—in one ad, Noem was featured glamorously riding horseback past Mount Rushmore—and… Continue reading
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Bondi’s Train Wreck of Thought
The Perils of Unscripted Speechifying On February 11, 2026, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi testified before the House Judiciary Committee for more than four hours. The full video is above. A main focus was the Epstein files. A little over fifty minutes in, Representative Jerry Nadler (D-NY) asked Bondi how many of Epstein’s co-conspirators her… Continue reading
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“Are you a trustworthy person?” Reported speech in Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Senate testimony
On September 4, 2025, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared in front of the Senate Finance Committee to answer questions (and receive accusations) about his vaccine policies and turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control. Some Republican senators came to his defense or asked softball questions. Others, including Republican Senator… Continue reading
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“I just want to say”: Ghislaine Maxwell’s DOJ interview
On July 24-25, 2025, Ghislaine Maxwell, confidant of Jeffrey Epstein and convicted sex trafficker, was interviewed of DOJ officials about her knowledge of Epstein’s behavior and that of the famous people he associated with. A few weeks later, the transcript and audio recording were released to the public, apparently because Maxwell repeatedly absolves President Donald… Continue reading
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“We all are going to die”: Joni Ernst’s town hall
Early last March, the chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee recommended that Republicans stop holding town hall meetings, after several confrontations with angry attendees went viral. One senator not to heed that advice was Iowa’s Joni Ernst. On May 30, 2025, Ernst held a town hall in Parkersburg. She attempted to set the ground… Continue reading
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University presidents under fire
On December 9, 2023, the presidents of MIT, Harvard, and the University of Pennsylvania testified in front of Congress about charges of anti-Semitism on their campuses. The grilling went on for more than five hours. The most dramatic (and re-played) moments came at the end, when they were questioned by New York Representative Elise Stefanik,… Continue reading
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Australian twins trying hard to speak in unison
A few weeks ago, this video of Australian twins Bridgette and Paula Powers went viral. (I recommend watching it.) In it, the twins recount a carjacking that they witnessed while at work, delighting viewers with their seemingly unison delivery. Jimmy Kimmel had them Zoom into his show and they remained true to form. Saturday Night… Continue reading
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Interruption and persistence in Trump v. Casa
On May 15, 2025, the Supreme Court heard its first but perhaps not final case about birthright citizenship in the Trump era. The issues presented were about the power of district court judges to issue nationwide injunctions, which several did in response to an executive order by the president undoing birthright citizenship for the children… Continue reading
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Trump-Zelensky shouting match, and a conversation analysis primer
On Friday, February 28, 2025, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met in the Oval Office in front of the press corps to describe Trump’s efforts to simultaneously sign a deal with Ukraine for rare earth minerals and bring the war with Russia to an end. The full video recording is above. Though… Continue reading
Sermo Interruptus 